Courage is.....

What is courage?  I read on sign just a few weeks ago at the Hoosier Horse Fair that courage is being scared to death....but saddling up anyways.  A great quote, one that will hang in the barn from now on.  Courage isn't being all tough and acting like nothing phases you.  What I learned this week was that courage is being scared to death.....but doing the right thing anyways, even at risk of personal harm or knowing that it's not going to end up well.  While I can't go into all that happened and let the internet world know about it, there was a situation this week where I had to confront someone to leave the premises, someone I knew would not take it well, but it had to be done for the good of all, for the good of camp.  The easy thing to do would have been to not confront, to look the other way, to avoid what I knew was going to be painful.  But I knew I couldn't and I knew I had to do what I didn't want to do.  And that's courage.  Once the appropriate people showed up and I was done talking to who I needed to talk to about it, then emotion took over.  I'll admit that a lot of emotion took over.  I realized how scared I'd been.  How scared I still was.  How much verbal abuse I'd taken and how threatening the person was and realized that this person knew exactly where I lived.  It took a long time to settle back down and I certainly did not feel like a courageous person at that point.  But everyone told me that I had done exactly what need to be done and I took solace in that fact.  I'm not boasting of what I did.  I don't think there's anything to be proud of.  I did what needed to be done and while it's not an experience I ever want to go through again, I'm glad to know that I have people in my life who will come and standby me.  As one told me afterwards, "You mess with one, you mess with all."  :-)  That's my family, my camp family.

When it Rains, it Pours

And I mean that quite literally.  Last week folks, that was a LOT of rain we received.  No where near the record 2008 flooding but it was a soggy week.  So here's a look at the rainfall around camp.  Most of these pictures were taken Thursday, mostly while it was still pouring down.

 I wish I had sound for these pictures!  Just the sound of the rain coming down and the creek rushing....it was noisy!

 Really?  It's never been across the road here.  This led towards the top of the lake and reached the road which poured into Ghost Creek.

 Wire walk at the pioneer settlement had a river rushing through it.

"Whirlpool" at the culvert at the lake

It was like there were three different water sources emptying into Ghost creek.  The road (above) was pouring water down from atop the lake hill, the lake itself, and then the Pathfinder trail for OE (earlier pic) was pouring in at the bottom.  That made Ghost Creek a raging creek.

 I liked seeing the progress of the log in the above picture to the following ones.  The day before, Amie and I had tried to move the log out of the lake (it was to the left of the fishing "dock"/concrete slap).  By 4ish, it was at the road, by 5ish it was on the road.

 Canoeing anyone?  Yep, the water got up to the boat house.  No worries, no canoes were not harmed.  They were locked in.

 I think that the log going parallel to the road was the only thing making it possible to drive across.  It acted like a dam in and of itself.

 That there is an uprooted tree chugging along down the river.

 This astounds me.  I have rarely seen it wet on the way to chapel.  There were about 3 different streams coming down from various points that led into one stream going into opening campfire.  It sounded like a rushing "river".

 Ghost Creek, a bit wider than normal.









I see you Gavin!  haha  Gavin is wondering if he can make the jump to the bridge.  He mostly made it.  ;-)

 Ghost creek up close and personal.  It was quite the sight to see.  It nearly dried up after last summer.  Not so much anymore!

 Kids cross here for their early morning trail ride.  The foot path across is gone.  And it's never been higher than a horses's mid cannon bone before ?  I wouldn't take a horse across now.  Too scary and if they slipped, we were headed to the river!

On our way back up, the rain stopped.  :-)













And then, just to remind us that rainy days aren't every day......

Weary Warrior, Down but not Out

I do apologize for the lack of posts.  I've had lots in my head, but the words haven't been flowing as of late so writing is difficult and my best posts are when the words flow, kind of like how Ghost Creek/River has been flowing lately.  ;-)  This post wasn't flowing.....Bear with me.

Ever have any of those times where you want to be left in a mood?  Not necessarily a bad mood, just a grrrr..... mood.  I know I'm in that mood when, I confess, I don't want to listen to my normal music.  I turn off the Christian radio station and find something that might fit my feelings a little more.  Not saying that the other music is bad (it's not at all) or that what I'm doing is wrong but I know that when I start to do that, my head may not be where it should.  I wanna be left alone to do whatever I want to do, frustrated because things aren't working out like they should, but still realizing that things are okay and not all that dramatic.  Things are not falling apart over here, although I think some people around me are falling apart.  Between the weather derailing plans at every turn and our mini-farm helper out indefinitely, things are starting to pile up a bit, but not too much yet.  Add to that, my best friend's been sick and in pain and when someone I care about hurts, I hurt too.  My "curse" is that I either care 100% or not at all.  I can't always find that middle ground very well.  And when someone I care about hurts, I tend to pour that onto myself and then when there's nothing I can do to help relieve the suffering and pain that they may be experiencing, physically or emotionally, then I have feelings of helplessness.  I know it's not helpless, but I want to take on their burden, to help them as much as possible.  That's the time to turn it over to God.  Although, one should always turn  it over right away to God but there's something to be said to those who wait around doing nothing while waiting for God to do it.  Anyways, in all these circumstances, there's nothing to be done because all of it is out of my control.  Therefore, there is no panic, no frustration, but that doesn't mean there can't be a "mood"!  :-)  And I like to be the "hero/warrior", taking on everything and everyone and being strong for all those around me.  It's something I put on myself and I don't necessarily have to but I want to.  

The "funny" thing is that there are so many things that have happened that are trying to pull me out of my mood and while I haven't been pulled out completely, things are fine.  They really are.  I think I'm just ready for sunshine and warm temperatures!

God's Moments:

A random guy at the south side Rural King (and he's from Delphi) asks me if he could donate 600 bales of hay to camp.  Um, yeah!  Do you know how much we have left?  (Next to nothing)  

Some things we've been trying to sell for camp look like they are going to sell quickly.

Lining up staff and workers....check.


So even though there are rainy days and days where things flood over the road instead of through the culvert and days that you just don't want the sun to come out because you want any excuse to go home and curl up on the couch with a cold drink and good movie, just remember that there will be a sunset, possibly a full moon out while you're out running at 9 pm, and then a good sleep which will remedy all.  Good night all.  ;-)